This invention generally relates to a medical gas, vacuum and electric delivery system for medical facilities, such as hospitals. More particularly, this invention relates to a pedestal for use with a patient support, such as an x-ray table or an operating table, to provide a plurality of services, such as medical gas, vacuum and electric power, near a patient to be treated on the patient support.
Hospital head wall systems are well known in the industry. Head wall systems are used in hospitals for providing medical gas (hereinafter referred to as gas), vacuum and electric services near a patient to be treated on a patient support. Head wall systems are typically mounted on walls behind hospital beds, nursing beds and intensive care beds where such services are often required. Conventional head wall designs include electric outlets and fixed or movable gas and vacuum outlets for supplying normal and emergency power, air, oxygen, vacuum, or other gases to hospital rooms. In conventional head wall designs, movable gas outlets slide on raceways formed on the head wall. Gas, vacuum and electric supply lines are coupled to the respective outlets. The gas, vacuum and electric supply lines are concealed behind a front panel of the head wall. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,253, issued on Nov. 14, 2000, and entitled xe2x80x9cHead Wall for a Hospital Roomxe2x80x9d, contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
This invention relates to floor-mounted pedestals, which like head walls, are used in hospitals for providing a plurality of services, such as gas, vacuum and electric power, near a patient undergoing a surgery or a procedure on a patient support, such as a surgery table in an operating room or an x-ray table in a cath lab. Pedestals are typically mounted on hospital floors near the equipment where such services are needed. For example, a pedestal is placed under a catheterization or an xray table in a cath lab procedural room (sometimes referred to herein as cath lab or catheterization lab) to supply gas, vacuum and electric services near a patient to be treated on the x-ray table. Some examples of procedures performed in the cath lab, but not totally inclusive, are balloon angioplasty, angiograms and stent procedures. A cath lab is generally located near the operating rooms in hospitals so that a patient undergoing a cardiac procedure can be quickly moved to an operating room, if needed, in the event of an emergency.
Conventional pedestal designs include a plurality of gas, vacuum and electric outlets for supplying oxygen, medical air, other gases, vacuum, normal power and emergency power. Examples of other gases include nitrous oxide, nitrogen, helium and carbon dioxide. Pedestals typically include a housing having opposite laterally-extending ends, opposite longitudinally-extending sides, a top and bottom defining an interior region. The opposite sides and ends of the housing are configured to include a plurality of electric, gas and vacuum outlets. A plurality of hospital gas, vacuum and electric supply lines enter the interior region of the floor-mounted pedestal through an opening in the bottom of the housing. A plurality of hoses couple the gas and vacuum supply lines to the respective gas and vacuum outlets. A plurality of cables couple the electric supply lines to the respective electric outlets. An example of such pedestal is EpiCare Pedestal, Model No. P683A01, marketed by Hill-Rom, Inc. EpiCare is a registered trademark of Hill-Rom, Inc.
As used in this description and claims, the phrase xe2x80x9cgas, vacuum and electric servicesxe2x80x9d shall be construed to mean just gas service, just vacuum service, just electric service, or any combination of these services. For example, a pedestal may be used to provide just gas and vacuum services near an x-ray table, or just normal and emergency electric services near an x-ray table or all of gas, vacuum and electric services near an x-ray table. Similarly, the phrase xe2x80x9cgas, vacuum and electric outletsxe2x80x9d shall be construed to mean just gas outlets, just vacuum outlets, just electric power outlets, or any combination of these outlets. Thus, the phrase xe2x80x9cgas, vacuum and electricxe2x80x9d is not to be construed as a limitation in any way. Instead, the phrase xe2x80x9cgas, vacuum and electricxe2x80x9d is understood to mean one or more of these services to suit the requirements for various utilities at a particular station in a hospital.
In accordance with the present invention, a pedestal for use with a patient support, such as an x-ray table, provides gas, vacuum and electric services near a patient supported on the patient sup port. The pedestal includes a housing having opposite laterally-extending ends, opposite longitudinally-extending sides, a top and bottom. The opposite sides of the housing are configured to include a plurality of gas, vacuum and electric outlets, and the top of the housing is arched to provide an upwardly-facing convex exterior surface. According to another feature of the present invention, the top is formed with axial sides overhanging the opposite sides of the housing.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.